Jimmy McGovern is not a man to shy away from difficult subjects. Throughout his career, the Liverpudlian screenwriter has focused on the more troubled aspects of society, including the care system (Care), disability (Go Now), and violence (Time). Most recently, in Unforgivable, he explores the trauma caused by child sexual abuse.
But Unforgivable is more than the story of Tom, a young teenage boy abused by his much-loved and trusted uncle. It charts the fallout for Tom’s family: Anna, his mother and sister of Joe (in a perfectly-pitched performance from Anna Friel); his dad, brother and grandparents; plus, in a typically bold move from McGovern, Tom’s abuser, Joe. In fact, Unforgivable is as much about Joe’s trauma as it is Tom’s. While this may be deemed controversial by some, what unfolds is an unflinching portrait of how family and generational trauma make victims of everyone.
